Local Ukrainian-born man asks New Mexicans to consider hosting refugees

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — One New Mexico man who was born in Ukraine is asking local families to consider becoming hosts for refugees fleeing his home country.

Dr. Aleksey Kozlov, a dentist in the East Mountains, said a relative of his was killed in a bombing near the city of Zaporizhzhia and other family members are still in danger in Ukraine.

He wants to spread the word about how people in New Mexico can volunteer to become a host right now through a group based in Sacramento, California, that’s connecting refugees with hosts, and he is currently collaborating on creating a local refugee help volunteer platform.

“We’re trying to love each other, and we’re trying to keep the politics out of it because we really want to help people that are struggling,” Dr. Kozlov said.

He said New Mexico has already shown him an outpouring of support.

“We’ve been loved on by the community. It brings me to tears, so I’m very thankful to New Mexico for having a big heart for people of Ukraine,” Dr. Kozlov said.

People can host for a set period of time, and they can host a whole family or individuals.

Thousands of refugees are fleeing Ukraine, though it’s not easy for them to get into the U.S. Those who do, need help, said Dr. Kozlov, who as a child came to America as a Ukrainian refugee himself.

Anyone interested in becoming a host can visit this website.